Live Financial And Business News By SaneBull

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A will signed by Michael Jackson putting his multimillion-dollar estate in a trust for his children and mother was filed in court on Wednesday, as details of his highly-anticipated funeral remained sketchy.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. employers cut far more jobs than expected last month and the unemployment rate hit 9.5 percent, the highest in nearly 26 years, underscoring the likelihood of a long, slow recovery from recession.

LONDON (Reuters) - One of the most senior British army officers in Afghanistan has been killed by a roadside bomb in the southern province of Helmand, the defense ministry said on Thursday.

ATLANTA (Reuters) - South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, who faces growing calls to quit over his affair with an Argentine woman, did not misuse public funds in trips he made to see his mistress, the state's top police official said on Thursday.

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iranian hardliners pressed on Thursday for legal action against moderate leaders accused of inciting post-election turmoil that has dimmed Western hopes of engaging Tehran on its disputed nuclear program.

LONDON, July 2 (Reuters) - British finance ministerAlistair Darling warned bankers against complacency andreturning to excessive risk-taking in an interview with theIndependent, adding some needed to be "brought back to earth."

WASHINGTON, July 2 (Reuters) - The U.S. government said onThursday it will give 420,000 treatment courses of Tamiflu tothe Pan-American Health Organization to help fight the new H1N1influenza virus in Latin America and the Caribbean.

NEW YORK, July 2 (Reuters) - Human-rights activiststargeting 21 funds of Vanguard Group Inc said on Friday thatbetween 7 to 17 percent of shares were voted in support ofdivestment resolutions, lower support than such measures havereceived elsewhere.

NYSE CLOSING BOND TRANSACTIONS: 196,000

ATLANTA, July 2 (Reuters) - Boeing Co said onThursday 17 orders for its commercial aircraft were canceled inthe last week, including a previously reported cancellation of15 of its delayed Dreamliner 787.

TORONTO, July 2 (Reuters) - Bankrupt commercial printerQuebecor World Inc said on Thursday that its U.S. andCanadian plans of reorganization have been approved by a U.S.bankruptcy court and the Quebec Superior Court.

NEW YORK, July 2 (Reuters) - Overseas shares traded in theUnited States plummeted across the board on Thursday on parwith U.S. stocks, as a larger-than-expected fall in U.S.payrolls diminished confidence on the economy's recovery.

WASHINGTON, July 2 (Reuters) - U.S. bank regulators onThursday said they closed three small Illinois banks, bringingthe total of U.S. bank failures so far this year to 48.

* Judge's ruling expected no later than July 10 (Recasts first sentence, adds details on timing of judge'sruling)

OFFICIAL OPEN CLOSEInd 8,503.00 8,280.74Tran 3,277.09 3,158.74Util 361.53 350.69Comp 2,952.97 2,864.62

* Ford Canada CEO expects overall market rebound in Q4 (Adds details, background)

SINGAPORE - Global Interdependence Center holds "Food andWater: Basic Challenges to International Stability" conference.Participants include Federal Reserve Bank of PhiladelphiaPresident Charles Plosser. Agenda, other details TBA. Contact:215 898 9453 or jfornito@interdependence.org.Information/online registration:http://www.interdependence.org/Event-11-12-09.php-------------------------------------------------------------

NEW YORK, July 2 (Reuters) - U.S. M-2 money supply rose by$300 million in the June 22 week to $8,369.2 billion, theFederal Reserve said on Thursday.

* Jobless rate hits 9.5 percent, highest since August 1983

* US unemployment at 26-year high, Europe at 10-year peak

TORONTO, July 2 (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co of Canadawas the number one selling automaker in the country for thefirst time in 50 years as it posted a 25 percent jump in salesin June over a year earlier, the company said on Thursday.

WASHINGTON, July 2 (Reuters) - New orders for U.S.manufactured goods jumped 1.2 percent in May, their largestincrease in nearly a year, the Commerce Department reported onThursday, beating analysts' expectations.

NEW YORK, July 2 (Reuters) - U.S. inflation pressures rosein June, continuing to come off 51-year lows touched earlierthis year but still indicating that inflation is not an issuefor the economy, a research group said on Thursday.

LONDON, July 2 (Reuters) - World stocks extended losses andWall Street looked set to follow suit on Thursday after the U.S.government reported more job losses than expected in June.

WASHINGTON, July 2 (Reuters) - The number of U.S. workersfiling new claims for jobless benefits fell by 16,000 lastweek, and the number staying on the rolls after collecting aninitial week of aid also fell, the government said in a reporton Thursday.

NEW YORK, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Staples Inc stock

slid 10.6 percent to $37.50 in after-hours trading

NEW YORK, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Shares of Hartford Financial

(Corrects in first paragraph to show shares fell instead ofrose)

NEW YORK, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Shares of FlextronicsInternational Ltd jumped 5 percent to $3.93 inafter-hours trading on Thursday after the contract electronicsmanufacturer posted second-quarter results.

NEW YORK, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Shares of Microsoft Corp rose 5.3 percent to $23.50 in extended trade onThursday after the software maker's quarterly earnings beat theaverage Wall Street estimate. For details see [ID:nWNAB1062]

NEW YORK, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Shares of Juniper Networks Inc rose 2.4 percent after the company postedthird-quarter results and expressed cautious optimism aboutnear-term opportunities.

NEW YORK, Oct 22 (Reuters) - Shares of Allstate Corp fell 7.1 percent to $26.23 in extended trade onWednesday after the insurer reported its quarterly results. Fordetails, see [ID:nWNAB0122]

NEW YORK, Oct 22 (Reuters) - Shares of Amazon.com fell 13.4 percent in extended trading on Wednesday after theonline retailer's fourth-quarter revenue expectations fellshort of analyst expectations.

NEW YORK, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Shares of iPhone-maker Apple rose 2.7 percent in after-hours trading on Tuesday,after reporting quarterly results.

NEW YORK, July 2 (Reuters) - Human-rights activiststargeting 21 funds of Vanguard Group Inc said on Friday thatbetween 7 to 17 percent of shares were voted in support ofdivestment resolutions, lower support than such measures havereceived elsewhere.

WASHINGTON, July 2 (Reuters) - U.S. bank regulators onThursday said they closed three small Illinois banks, bringingthe total of U.S. bank failures so far this year to 48.

NEW YORK, July 2 (Reuters) - U.S. junk bond mutual fundsreported a $385 million net inflow in the week ended July 1, aweek after funds posted the first weekly net outflow sincemid-March, AMG Data Services reported on Thursday.

NEW YORK, July 2 (Reuters) - First Marblehead Corp ,a large packager of U.S. student loans, on Thursday was orderedby the U.S. Office of Thrift Supervision to lower risk byreducing its concentration of private student loans, a move itsaid could cause a "significant" loss.

July 2 (Reuters) - The following bids, mergers,acquisitions and disposals involving European, U.S. and Asiancompanies were reported by 2000 GMT on Thursday.

WASHINGTON, July 2 (Reuters) - U.S. bank regulators onThursday said they closed John Warner Bank, a small bank inIllinois, marking the 46th U.S. bank failure so far this year.

* Streak of successful IPOs raises hopes for rest of year

NEW YORK, July 2 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures endedalmost 4 percent lower on Thursday as government data showingthat the jobless rate in June rose to the highest level in 26years sparked fresh worries about a recovery from recession.

* Regulators pushing for central clearing of derivatives

* Proposal calls for high capital levels, 3-yr commitment (Recasts, adds reaction)

LONDON, July 2 (Reuters) - British finance ministerAlistair Darling warned bankers against complacency andreturning to excessive risk-taking in an interview with theIndependent, adding some needed to be "brought back to earth."

NYSE CLOSING BOND TRANSACTIONS: 196,000

TORONTO, July 2 (Reuters) - Bankrupt commercial printerQuebecor World Inc said on Thursday that its U.S. andCanadian plans of reorganization have been approved by a U.S.bankruptcy court and the Quebec Superior Court.

WASHINGTON, July 2 (Reuters) - U.S. bank regulators onThursday said they closed three small Illinois banks, bringingthe total of U.S. bank failures so far this year to 48.

* Involves C$353 mln term credit and $30 mln working capitali * Has used C$340 mln of the facility to date

NEW YORK, July 2 (Reuters) - U.S. junk bond mutual fundsreported a $385 million net inflow in the week ended July 1, aweek after funds posted the first weekly net outflow sincemid-March, AMG Data Services reported on Thursday.

ATLANTA, July 2 (Reuters) - South Carolina Governor MarkSanford, who faces growing calls to quit over his affair withan Argentine woman, did not misuse public funds in trips hemade to see his mistress, the state's top police official saidon Thursday.

* U.S. jobs data shakes confidence in economic recovery (Adds details)

NEW YORK, July 2 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Reserve'sbalance sheet shrank below $2 trillion for the first time sinceearly March in the latest week, signaling less strain in thefinancial system, Fed data showed on Thursday.

* Prosecutor considering options, including appeal (Adds details, quotes; byline)

SAO PAULO, July 2 (Reuters) - Brazilian stocks fell onThursday, as disappointing U.S. jobs data added to investorfears the world economy is still in a rut, while a sharp fallin oil prices weighed on heavyweight Petrobras.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. employers cut far more jobs than expected last month and the unemployment rate hit 9.5 percent, the highest in nearly 26 years, underscoring the likelihood of a long, slow recovery from recession.

MEXICO CITY, July 2 (Reuters) - Mexican President FelipeCalderon's party faces a defeat in congressional elections onSunday that may complicate his reform agenda as voters punishhim for an economic slump.

* Proposal calls for high capital levels, 3-yr commitment (Recasts, adds reaction)

MEXICO CITY, July 2 (Reuters) - Mexico will elect a newlower house of Congress, six state governors and hundreds ofmayors in mid-term elections on Sunday. [ID:nN02354233]

*Patient recovered after treatment with rival drug Relenza

* Finra seeks details on sales, marketing of levered ETFs

* Jobless rate hits 9.5 percent, highest since August 1983

WASHINGTON, July 2 (Reuters) - Key Senate Democrats said onThursday the cost of their plan to overhaul the U.S. healthcaresystem has dropped to $611 billion over a decade, a figure theyhope will help draw wider bipartisan support in Congress.

* US unemployment at 26-year high, Europe at 10-year peak

NEW YORK, July 2 (Reuters) - Human-rights activiststargeting 21 funds of Vanguard Group Inc said on Friday thatbetween 7 to 17 percent of shares were voted in support ofdivestment resolutions, lower support than such measures havereceived elsewhere.

WASHINGTON, July 2 (Reuters) - U.S. bank regulators onThursday said they closed three small Illinois banks, bringingthe total of U.S. bank failures so far this year to 48.

NEW YORK, July 2 (Reuters) - U.S. junk bond mutual fundsreported a $385 million net inflow in the week ended July 1, aweek after funds posted the first weekly net outflow sincemid-March, AMG Data Services reported on Thursday.

NEW YORK, July 2 (Reuters) - First Marblehead Corp ,a large packager of U.S. student loans, on Thursday was orderedby the U.S. Office of Thrift Supervision to lower risk byreducing its concentration of private student loans, a move itsaid could cause a "significant" loss.

July 2 (Reuters) - The following bids, mergers,acquisitions and disposals involving European, U.S. and Asiancompanies were reported by 2000 GMT on Thursday.

WASHINGTON, July 2 (Reuters) - U.S. bank regulators onThursday said they closed John Warner Bank, a small bank inIllinois, marking the 46th U.S. bank failure so far this year.

* Streak of successful IPOs raises hopes for rest of year

NEW YORK, July 2 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures endedalmost 4 percent lower on Thursday as government data showingthat the jobless rate in June rose to the highest level in 26years sparked fresh worries about a recovery from recession.

* Regulators pushing for central clearing of derivatives

* Proposal calls for high capital levels, 3-yr commitment (Recasts, adds reaction)

* Judge's ruling expected no later than July 10 (Recasts first sentence, adds details on timing of judge'sruling)

* Ford Canada CEO expects overall market rebound in Q4 (Adds details, background)

CHICAGO, July 2 (Reuters) - Taco Bell has replacedMcDonald's Corp as the National BasketballAssociation's official fast-food sponsor, a source familiarwith the deal said on Thursday.

CHICAGO, July 2 (Reuters) - Taco Bell has replacedMcDonald's Corp as the National BasketballAssociation's official fast-food sponsor, a source familiarwith the deal said on Thursday.

TORONTO, July 2 (Reuters) - More than 900 NavistarInternational Corp workers in Chatham, Ontario, haverejected the company's latest contract offer, the Canadian AutoWorkers union said on Thursday.

TORONTO, July 2 (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co of Canadawas the number one selling automaker in the country for thefirst time in 50 years as it posted a 25 percent jump in salesin June over a year earlier, the company said on Thursday.

* Rite Aid shares fall 9.7 pct; Walgreen down 0.4 pct (Adds analyst's comments, byline; updates stock activity)

* Tax breaks aiding sales; sales rose in first 6 months

MILAN, July 2 (Reuters) - The Renault-Nissan Alliance andItalian regional utility A2A SpA have signed amemorandum of understanding to develop zero-emission electricvehicles in Italy on a large scale, the companies.

NAIROBI, July 2 (Reuters) - Kenyan Uchumi Supermarkets expects a 25 percent rise in profit for its year toJune, during which it saw shopper numbers rise 25 percent to16.2 million.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - If the United States focused on curbing climate change as soon as a new president took office -- or sooner -- it could help pull the world from the financial brink, environmental policy experts told Reuters.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A global financial crisis could distract the world's lawmakers and investors from supporting initiatives and technologies to reduce greenhouse gases, delaying what many see as critical efforts to combat climate change.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - If the United States focused on curbing climate change as soon as a new president took office -- or sooner -- it could help pull the world from the financial brink, environmental policy experts told Reuters.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, the Silicon Valley venture capital firm that has backed companies like Google Inc and Amazon.com Inc, recently made its first clean technology investment in India, a top executive told Reuters.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Payments from polluters in rich countries to tropical communities in exchange for slowing deforestation may soon play a bigger role in combating climate change if problems like measuring preservation efforts can be overcome.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, the Silicon Valley venture capital firm that has backed companies like Google Inc and Amazon.com Inc , recently made its first clean technology investment in India, a top executive told Reuters.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Payments from polluters in rich countries to tropical communities in exchange for slowing deforestation may soon play a bigger role in combating climate change if problems like measuring preservation efforts can be overcome.

NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Solar cell maker First Solar Inc has felt no immediate effect on its business from the financial markets crisis and could take on a role in financing new projects or buying into new technologies, Chairman and CEO Michael Ahearn said on Wednesday.

BARCELONA, Spain (Reuters) - Worsening damage to nature is jolting the world into doing more to protect animals and plants and new economic arguments will bolster the case for action, the head of a global conservation network said.

BARCELONA, Spain (Reuters) - The world's burgeoning cities must do more to safeguard animals and plants by increasing parkland, planting trees and recycling resources, the U.N.'s top biodiversity official said on Wednesday.